Man, son killed in Chittagong school wall collapse

Relatives of the victims in Chittagong wall collapse wail at Chittagong Medical College Hospital on Wednesday. — Focusbangla photo

A man and his son were killed as a boundary wall of a school collapsed on them in Chittagong city’s Kotwali area on Wednesday noon.

The deceased were identified as Masudul Haq, 42, and his son Tausif Mahid, 12, of Baluardighi Par area in the port city.

Witnesses said that a portion of the boundary wall of Chittagong Saint Placid High School and College at Patharghata collapsed on Masudul and his son Tausif, who were walking on an adjacent lane at about 12:30pm.

A witness, Pranab Bhattacharjee, told New Age that hearing a sound he rushed to the spot and saw that two people got stuck under the collapsed wall.

An excavator was being operated on the school ground. The vibration might have led the wall to collapse, the witnesses said.

‘We recovered them and sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital’ said Pranab.

The doctor on duty at the hospital declared Masudul and Tausif dead on their arrival at the hospital, said sub-inspector Jahirul Haq, in-charge of police deployed at the hospital

Chittagong Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner Abdur Rouf said from the spot that action would be taken against those responsible for the incident.

He asked the school authority to complete renovation work as soon as possible.

Saint Placid High School and College principal Pradip Louis Rozario CSC declined to comment.

Deceased Masudul’s elder brother Md Sirajul Hoque said that Masudul went there to drop his daughter at her school.